Once you have a cigar in hand, the actual smoking part is where most beginners get nervous. If you have not bought one yet, our guide to buying cigars online in India covers that first step. This post picks up from there: cutting, lighting and actually smoking the thing without wrecking it.
Step 1: Cutting Your Cigar
A straight guillotine cutter is the easiest to start with, though a V-cutter has a built-in guard that stops you cutting too deep, which makes it fairly forgiving for a first attempt. Cut just above the cap’s shoulder, about 1 to 2 millimetres in from where the cap meets the body. Cut too little and the draw stays tight; cut too deep and the wrapper can start to unravel. Browse our cigar cutters if you need one.
Step 2: Lighting Your Cigar (Toasting the Foot)
A torch lighter works best since it gives a controlled, wind-resistant flame, though a long wooden match or cedar spill works too. Hold the flame about an inch below the foot of the cigar, not touching it, and rotate the cigar slowly until the tobacco toasts evenly and starts to glow. Only once the whole foot is lit should you bring the cigar to your mouth and draw gently while rotating it a little more, checking the burn line is even all the way round. Take a look at our cigar lighters if you need one.
Step 3: How to Draw and Pace Yourself
Cigar smoke is not meant to be inhaled into the lungs the way cigarette smoke is. Draw the smoke into your mouth, let it sit for a moment, and let it out. One puff every 30 to 60 seconds is a reasonable pace. Puffing more often than that overheats the tobacco and tends to turn the flavour bitter and harsh well before the cigar is done.
Step 4: Managing the Ash
Let the ash build up naturally rather than tapping it off every couple of minutes. A longer ash actually helps insulate the burning tobacco underneath and keeps the burn even. Once it is an inch or so long, or if it is at risk of dropping on you, a gentle tap over an ashtray is enough.
Step 5: How Long a Cigar Actually Lasts
This depends on the vitola, and it lines up with the sizes we covered in our buying guide:
- A Robusto usually runs 35 to 50 minutes.
- A Toro runs closer to 60 to 75 minutes.
- A Churchill can go 75 to 90 minutes or more.
If you are still finding your pace, a Robusto or a shorter Corona is a more manageable first sitting than committing to a Churchill.
Step 6: Relighting a Cigar
Cigars go out on their own if you leave them too long between puffs, and that is normal, not a sign anything is wrong. Relighting is fine as long as you do it fairly soon. If a cigar has been out for more than 30 to 45 minutes, the oils that carry its flavour have usually dried out and the relight will taste harsh, so at that point it is better to just start a fresh one.
A mild or medium cigar is the easiest way to learn all of this without the session turning into a chore. Here are a few approachable places to start:
H. Upmann Half Coronas
A shorter format from a long-established name, good for a first, quicker sitting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to pick one up? Browse our cigars category, or message us on WhatsApp at +91 99876 23653 if you want a recommendation before you buy.
